How to Transplant Potted Plants Properly
- 1). Dig a hole 6 to 8 inches deeper and three times wider than the potted plant's root ball. As you dig, remove from the site the soil that makes up the first couple of inches of ground surface.
- 2). Mix the topsoil you dug out of the hole with an amount of compost or manure equal to one-third its volume. Other types of organic matter, such as peat moss or dead leaves, are also an option.
- 3). Add some of the topsoil you mixed with organic matter back to the bottom of the hole you made. Your goal is for your potted plant to sit slightly higher than it was in the nursery container.
- 4). Slide the plant out of its container. Transplant potted plants any time between early spring to late fall, before they go dormant.
- 5). Spread the plant's roots out. If they've grown around the inside of the pot and become root bound, slash them vertically with a sharp garden knife. Then, extend them.
- 6). Transplant your potted plant into the hole and back fill it with topsoil. Firm the soil around the roots with the palm of your hands as you go. (See References 1, page 2)
- 7). Irrigate the plant deeply and continue to keep its roots moist until it begins to grow continuously. At that point, water your plant according to its specific moisture requirement.
- 8). Make a ring of mulch around the base of your new transplant. Use bark, wood chips, straw or any other organic mulch to choke weeds and conserve moisture. Cornell University Extension recommends mulching fall transplants right away, but waiting until the weather warms up to apply mulch around a spring transplant.
